1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Truman State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Truman State University MO · Medium public institution · Overall rank #678 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/truman-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/truman-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/truman-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/truman-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/truman-state-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Truman State University #678 overall among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Truman State University is a public university in Kirksville, Missouri, whose degree mix is led by Business and Health Professions, with affordability, its strongest pillar, well above average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes the gap to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts, while the factors it measures adds. Return is around the average, and the typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted results pull in opposite directions. Affordability is well above average, and the net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is above average, but access is below the levels seen at many peers. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools. A student drawn to Business or Biological Sciences should go in knowing that the highest-earning fields are Accounting and Nursing. ## Truman State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 83.8% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 68.5% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $56,947 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $12,426 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $14,503 ## Truman State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Truman State University is a public university in Kirksville, Missouri, enrolling 2,513 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (54th percentile). The university admits 83.8% of applicants, a rate close to the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Retention runs well above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions: 84.7% return after the first year against a peer median of 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is also higher, at 68.5% compared to a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 11.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort and not the full student body. The shape is a public university where affordability is the strongest pillar and access is the weakest, with return and mobility in the middle. The strongest and weakest pillars sit far apart, and the page that follows shows what that means for a student weighing cost against the earnings picture. Affordability is the clearest strength in a profile where access is the main limitation for families to weigh. Azimuth places affordability in the 83rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, making it the strongest pillar. Mobility sits in the 60th percentile, and return is in the 48th percentile. Access, the weakest pillar, is in the 13th percentile. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,170 and 1,370. The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 25 and 31. 16.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Pell recipients complete at 62.0%, which is 6.5 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/). Azimuth ranks Truman State University #1,277 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #591 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,069 less than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with the university's mobility standing. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Truman State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #678 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 60 **Access & reach** National percentile: 13 **[Affordability](/school/truman-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 83 **[Return on investment](/school/truman-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 48 01 / Truman State University briefing ## [Truman State University cost & financial aid](/school/truman-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Affordability is the strongest pillar at Truman State University, and the published cost of attendance is $25,115. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,780, which is $1,288 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The sticker price includes in-state tuition and fees of $9,838 and room and board of $11,128. Out-of-state students face tuition and fees of $18,566. Financial aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, saving them $12,335 off the sticker price. Azimuth ranks the university #235 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 83rd percentile. The published cost of attendance at Truman State University is $25,115. Azimuth ranks the university #235 for affordability among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $6,046, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,426, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,220. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,174. Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the overall average net price to $12,780. That is $1,288 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $21,000 in federal student loans, $229 below the peer median of $21,229. The estimated payment on that debt is $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow through the separate [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a median of $14,503. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$12,426** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Truman State University At Truman State University, 88.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans, so loan use is a common part of the cost picture. Among completers who borrowed, median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,000. The peer median federal debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, and the university's median is $229 below that figure. For [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, median borrowing is $14,503. Lower borrowing gives Truman State University a modest starting point on cost, though its earnings picture is mixed. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $56,947 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 39th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,069 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios range from $44,511 in a downside scenario to $82,865 in an upside scenario, with $56,947 as the typical scenario. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,000, $229 below the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower debt sits alongside a broad scenario range and earnings below the model's expectation. For parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $14,503, a figure separate from federal student borrowing. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $21,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $14,503 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $239/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $184/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=truman-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/truman-state-university/cost/) 02 / Truman State University briefing ## [Truman State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/truman-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled from Truman State University have median earnings of $56,947. That median is $354 below the peer median of $57,301, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), and falls in the 39th percentile. For [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, graduates earn about $2,069 less than the model expects for similar students. The result is in the 47th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,339. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,408. On Azimuth’s return pillar, the university is in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduate earnings at Truman State University show a typical outcome alongside a modeled shortfall from expectations. For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $56,947 four years after completion. Azimuth places that measure in the 39th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, using an earnings cohort of 800 completers. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, offer a separate comparison. Graduates earn about $2,069 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix place typical earnings at $56,947, with a downside scenario of $44,511 and an upside scenario of $82,865. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The modeled shortfall sits alongside a broad range of possible earnings scenarios. Federally aided graduates of Truman State University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,947 four years after completion, in the 39th percentile. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301, and the university sits $354 below that level overall. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Truman State University #757 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,069 less than the model expects for similar students. That outcome sits at the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) is the one that adds $5,339. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain is the one that subtracts $7,408. Within the measured factors, the STEM component alone adds $1,598. Degrees awarded at Truman State University concentrate mainly in Business, Health Professions and Biological Sciences fields. Estimated earnings scenarios from the program mix run from $44,511 on the downside to $82,865 on the upside. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the program mix, rather than entering the workforce immediately. Fields at Truman State University span a broad modeled earnings range, so the school-wide median masks differences by field. The downside earnings scenario is $44,511 and the upside scenario is $82,865, both modeled from the program mix rather than observed groups. Four years after completion, program medians are $84,515 in Accounting, $77,315 in Nursing, and $70,633 in Business Administration and Management. These field results put concrete examples at the higher end of the modeled range. At Truman State University, the cost side is relatively favorable, although the earnings model gives a less favorable reading. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,780, below the $14,068 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,288. Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,000. That is below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $229. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $2,069 less than the model expects for similar students. The below-peer price and debt figures point toward lower borrowing, but the model comparison gives the return picture a less favorable side. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,339 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$7,408 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$2,069 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/truman-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Truman State University briefing ## [Truman State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/truman-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) At Truman State University, the reported entering-class admission rate was 83.8%, indicating the share of that year’s applicants who received admission offers. It falls below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 83.8% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1170 **Reported average** 1320 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1370 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/truman-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Truman State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Truman State University?](/school/truman-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Among the larger programs at Truman State University, earnings differ markedly four years after completion, making field choice central to the return picture. Accounting sits at the higher end, with median earnings of $84,515 and 62 degrees awarded. Nursing also posts higher earnings of $77,315 across 50 degrees awarded. The more moderate-earning fields still cover sizable portions of the program mix. Business Administration and Management records $70,633 four years after completion and 96 degrees awarded, while Biology records $61,647 with 79 degrees awarded. The contrast between accounting and nursing on one side and business and biology on the other shows that earnings vary materially across the university's prominent fields. Business is the largest program family, accounting for 16.4% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. The largest fields show different median earnings four years after completion for their completers. Accounting awarded 62 degrees and shows $84,515. The program mix at Truman State University is broad, with Business accounting for 16.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 13.3% and Biological Sciences at 10.4%. The university has 15 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 96 degrees awarded, with Biology next at 79 and Kinesiology and Physical Education at 78. The highest-earning program is Accounting, where graduates earn a median of $84,515 four years after completion. Its benchmark ratio is 1.11x against the national median for its field. The program awards 62 degrees a year, making it one of the larger programs on campus. Nursing is the second-highest earner, with a median of $77,315 from 50 degrees awarded. Its benchmark ratio sits at 0.87x, below the national median for the field. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, reports median earnings of $70,633, which is a benchmark ratio of 1.03x. The pattern shows earnings concentrated in professional fields. Accounting and Nursing lead the earnings list, while the largest program by degrees awarded sits in the middle of the pack. Across all fields, 19.7% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 96 degrees awarded** $70,633 **Biology, General 79 degrees awarded** $61,647 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 78 degrees awarded** $55,213 **Psychology, General 76 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Accounting and Related Services 62 degrees awarded** $84,515 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 50 degrees awarded** $77,315 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/truman-state-university/majors/) 05 / Truman State University briefing ## How does Truman State University serve students from different backgrounds? Completion is a relative strength in the mobility picture, even as modeled earnings are lower than expected. The first-time full-time cohort’s [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 68.5%; Pell recipients’ six-year completion rate is 62.0%, below the overall rate by 6.5 percentage points. Azimuth places Truman State University’s mobility pillar in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,069 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students, is in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Completion is comparatively favorable, but the earnings measure points the other way. At Truman State University, access is shaped by an 83.8% admission rate and undergraduate enrollment of 2,513 undergraduates. Pell Grants go to 16.5% of undergraduates, a financial-access measure, and an estimated 11.0% enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth puts the access pillar in the 13th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission rate is high, while Pell participation is limited. 06 / Truman State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Truman State University?](/school/truman-state-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/truman-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Truman State University. Admissions peerUniversity of Missouri-Columbia78.5% admitted+ Comparison with Truman State University | Measure | Truman State University | University of Missouri-Columbia | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,947 | $69,651+$12,704 vs Truman State University | | Average annual net price | $12,780 | $20,268+$7,488 vs Truman State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.8% | 78.5% | [Explore University of Missouri-Columbia →](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/) Higher-admission alternativeGrand View University99.1% admitted+ Comparison with Truman State University | Measure | Truman State University | Grand View University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,947 | $57,521+$574 vs Truman State University | | Average annual net price | $12,780 | $21,774+$8,994 vs Truman State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.8% | 99.1% | Nearby alternativeWestminster CollegeNearby option · MO+ Comparison with Truman State University | Measure | Truman State University | Westminster College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,947 | $51,238\-$5,709 vs Truman State University | | Average annual net price | $12,780 | $24,314+$11,534 vs Truman State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.8% | 79.2% | Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings+ Comparison with Truman State University | Measure | Truman State University | San Jose State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,947 | $89,614+$32,667 vs Truman State University | | Average annual net price | $12,780 | $13,760+$980 vs Truman State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.8% | 84.6% | [Explore San Jose State University →](/school/san-jose-state-university/) Lower-cost alternativeTrinity International University-Illinois$2,835 average net price+ Comparison with Truman State University | Measure | Truman State University | Trinity International University-Illinois | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,947 | $51,985\-$4,962 vs Truman State University | | Average annual net price | $12,780 | $2,835\-$9,945 vs Truman State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.8% | 100.0% | Similar profileGovernors State UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Truman State University | Measure | Truman State University | Governors State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,947 | $56,405\-$542 vs Truman State University | | Average annual net price | $12,780 | $12,329\-$451 vs Truman State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.8% | 48.3% | [Explore Governors State University →](/school/governors-state-university/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/truman-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 27, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 27, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)